Two Must Go!

This is the night that the "save" produced -- The night two go home. I believe the two packing thier bags will be Lil Rounds and Anoop Desai. Disco was the theme last night, and there were some impressive performances for sure. It's gonna get tough from now on.

The top seven spent the day getting choreography tips from Paula Abdul herself, which were applied to the group song, "Shake Your Body Down To The Ground" by the Jacksons. Wow. They actually sounded and looked pretty good together. Rare for the weekly collaborative effort.

Let's get started. . . .

Lil Rounds was the first to be called up. She, not surprisingly, went to the stools. Here comes the shocker. . . Lil didn't even have to wait. She was immediately eliminated and sent packing. She sang the Chaka Kahn song for her swansong and sounded just as bad as she did last night. The judges thought she was better and said the obligatory "you have a great career ahead of you blah, blah, blah".

Will there still be a bottom three? Stand by. First, 60's and 70's diva Freda Payne stepped out on stage and sang her hit "Band Of Gold." Dang, she must be 100 years old, but still worked it! Good for her! Then, Thelma Houston sang what Billboard Magazine declared was the number one dance tune of all time -- her smash him "Don't Leave Me This Way." What a treat! If that wasn't enough, Harry Casey of KC and the Sunshine Band came out and sang the disco anthem, "Get Down Tonight." It's just a plethora of disco diva-dom! It was cool to see these old-timers shake thier booties again.

But, alas, underneath all the glitter and spectacle, gloom and doom await one more of the remaining six.

Here we go: Kris stood up first. The judges loved his acoustic version of "She Works Hard For The Money." America loved it too, and Kris plopped his butt back down on the safa.

Adam was next to be scrutinized. Of course, all the judges loved him, and he got to sit back down, too.

Danny's "September" divided the judges opinions. Simon didn't care for the performance, but the others thought it was great. Danny was also safe, and sat back down.

Anoop sang "Dim All The Lights." He thought he could have done it better, and so did the voting public. To the stools with Anoop.

Allison sang "Hot Stuff," and Matt sang "Stayin Alive." The judges liked both of the performances. Matt is safe, and Allison joins Anoop at the stools. Once again, this reporter correctly predicted all of the lowest vote-getters. Mmmm kay?

Before we learn the results, David Archuleta performed his song, "Touch My Hand." One year hasn't done much to change his lack of stage-presence. Who wants to see him in concert? I found the performance to be boring. If this song becomes a hit, I'll be surprised. He's too young to be singing in the genre of Adult Contemporary. Leave that to Phil Collins, and let's get on with the show. . . .

So here we are. . . . Over 45 million votes. And the loser is. . . . Anoop Desai. Allison is safe. As good as the final seven are, the public is getting it right week by week. Those who are left are definitely the ones who deserve to be there. With only five left, the FIERCE competition begins NOW!

See ya next time!

Disco Night 4/21

Hi everyone!

Last week, Matt was granted a reprieve from the judges, and lives on for another week. Bad news: Two go home tomorrow based on the votes of the viewing public. No more "saves" are allowed.

It's Disco Night!! Should be an interesting night.

LIL started off the night singing Chaka Kahn's "I'm Every Woman," later a hit by Whitney Houston. And by the way, I rarely utter Chaka's name without prefacing it with "The Incomparable." Is Lil out of her mind? Doesn't she get it? Not only does she try and take on one incomparable diva, but TWO?????? Lil -- You don't do Whitney and you DAMN sure don't do Chaka. She was miserable. Another copy-cat showing. Miserable. Her voice was all over the place. Miserable. The judges trashed her and in my opinion, were too nice. Miserable. Almost embarassing to watch. The first ticket home is the starting position, and the second is a miserable performance. The judges hated the performance. Lil, of course, disagreed with the panel.

Next up, KRIS. An audience favorite, he sang "She Works Hard For The Money," by one of my all-time favorites, Donna Summer. Kris didn't do so well last week, but this week, turned in an arrangement all his own, certainly not trying to copy Ms. Summer. His acoustic version had an Island flair complete with bongo drums, washboard, and himself on guitar. Kris seems completely comfortable behind the mic. Stellar performance. But what the hell were Paula's comments about??? The judges and I thought he was great!

DANNY chose "September," by another of my all-time favorites, Earth, Wind, and Fire. Oh, Danny boy, as good as you are, you don't try to take on the legendary sounds of Maurice White and Phillip Bailey. It almost sounded like he was trying too hard, which I'm sure he is. I'm in the minority here. The judges really liked him, but I didn't. To me, it sounded like Michael Bolton doing karaoke EW&F. He'll probably stay around based on the judges' influence.

ALLISON stepped up next with another Donna Summer tune, "Hot Stuff." She started it off slow and ballad-like, then turned it into a genuine rock song. There she was, taking a classic song from another incomparable diva. Had she tried to do it like Ms. Summer, she would have failed miserably, but, as Paula so often used to say, she REALLY made it her own and rocked it out! More and more, Allison reminds me of a combination of Pink and Kelly Clarkson. She'll definitely get the rocker's votes. I think she did a great job! The judges agreed for the most part, but didn't really like the arrangement.

And now the moment we've all been waiting for. How will ADAM spin his song? Showing up with a boufant hairdo and a suit, his choice for the evening was "If I Can't Have You" by Yvonne Elleman from the classic disco movie Saturday Night Fever. He sang it like a ballad tinged with his trademark (please make him stop) screeching. UGH! That alone wants me to see him go. Give us a break. Actually, other than the screaming, he did an admirable job. Sorry, I just don't like him. All the judges espoused their eternal love for him (anyone got a barf bag?).

And what the hell is up with Paula tonight? She "felt his pain"? What??? He'll be back, of course. And enough of Adam thanking the band. Like he's the front man for the tour. What ev!

Here comes MATT. I was really hoping he would nail it. He is loaded with talent, and I don't believe we've seen the full extent of it yet. Matt chose "Stayin' Alive," another song from Saturday Night Fever by the Bee Gees. Appropriate choice. I must say he gave it all he had. Matt is a good performer and is comfortable on stage, has great moves, and he DEFINITELY has more style than anyone else in the competition. (OK OK - Adam has style too). It wasn't the best performance, but definitely good enough to keep him in the competiton. I sure hope so.

Rounding out the night is ANOOP. Anoop has been getting through each round by the skin of his teeth. He's good. I mean, you have to be to get this far in the competiton, but he really needs to turn it out to stay out of the bottom three. Anoop chose "Dim All The Lights," yet another song by Donna Summer. The beginning almost sounded a little countrified. It was an OK effort, but by no means anything special. In fact, his voice wavered here and there, was a little pitchy, and had a bad ending. Three of the judges liked him, but HRH Simon agreed with me.

So there we have it. This reporter believes that Anoop, Allison, and Lil will be in the bottom three. I don't really think Allison deserves to be there, but who in her place??? Now it's getting difficult to make predictions. We'll see tomorrow.

See ya next time!

GET OUTTA HERE! 4/15

Let me start by saying I think last night was a low point for this season of American Idol. Just about all of the contestants did a lousy job. They seem to be getting worse. The show seems to be getting worse. Is this the Beta edition of Idol? First, there was the addition of Kara as the fourth judge. This practice has ended up biting the show in the ass. While she is an OK addition, she certainly isn't necessary. Her presence adds time to the show and has made the show run too long, and forced the producers make changes to acommodate her being there, such as just having two judges comment after each performance, thereby leaving us with two instead of the four judges that they were shooting for. Also dispensed with was the ridiculous way the fab four were being introduced, descending the stairs like big time superstars. This season is trial and error. I hope FOX sees all this and corrects it next season.

So the show started out with the Ford commercial and the group sing-a-long. Since last night's theme was "Music From The Cinema," the group tune was maniac. I really wish they would dispense with this madness. That would save time. But I guess that's all they have on Wednesday nights. I mean how long does it really take to eliminate one singer?? Wednesday is all about filler, while Tuesday's show can't even fit into the alloted time.

Anyway, after the song and some blah, blah, blah from Seacrest and some recorded crap about the contestants attending the premiere of "17 Again" (think that's a FOX movie??), the elimination began.

First up, Allison found out she was safe. I'm glad about that. I was afraid she might have been in the bottom three, but she made it through. I didn't really like her cover of Aerosmith, but luckily America did. Next up, Adam, who sang Steppenwolf's "Born To Be Wild," not surprisingly made it through as well.

Then poor Anoop. Bottom three almost every time, Anoop, who sang "Everything I Do I Do For You," again heads to the stools. There he will sit until the last moments, or at least until one of the three is sent back to the safa.

After the break, Jennifer Hudson, American Idol alumna, sang her new song, "If This Isn't Love" and sounded great. She promoted a few of her projects, talked about her engagement, and a few other things. Then we took another break.

Kris was next. As was Lil. Both performances were weak as far as I was concerned. The judges were divided on Kris. All the judges didn't like Lil's performance of Bette Midler's "The Rose." Kris was safe, and Lil joined Anoop on the stools.

Matt and Danny stood up next. I didn't like Matt's performance, but thought Danny was the best of the night. Matt was sent to the stools, and Danny went to the safa. As I predicted, the bottom three are Anoop, Lil, and Matt. Deservedly so. But one gets to go back to the couch. The lucky one is Anoop. Bummer. I hate that Matt is in the bottom two.

Commercial. Commercial.

And now, the highlight of the season -- MILEY CYRUS sings her hit song "The Climb." Best performance I've ever seen anywhere by anyone! Love my Miley!! (Don't Hate!)

Here we go. . . . Simon was asked before the break if the "save" might be implemented and he said possibly for one of them, but declined to say who.

So who goes??? Lil or Matt??? Oh no!!! It's Matt!! I can't believe it!! Now it's time to sing for his reprieve. Will the judges let him have another stab at it?? I sure hope so. But I didn't like his song last night, and it's the same song tonight. I just hope the judges see that he's way more talented than Lil or Anoop, and on par with all the others on the sofa.

So now is the time. We'll see. . . Awaiting the verdict with baited breath. Will they save Matt??

YES!!!! SAVED!!!! Hmmmm. . . . . I guess I like this "save" thing after all. So Matt will be back next week for DISCO WEEK! But alas, two will exit the stage next time. I'll be here.

See ya next time!!

Songs From the Cinema 4/14

So We're down to the last seven. I believe the voters got it right, and the ones who are left are the ones who deserve to be there.

Tonight's theme is "Songs From The Cinema." For some reason, Quentin Tarrantino is the "mentor" tonight. Like I am sooooo sure he knows about music. Actually he does. He's the world's foremost authority on all music. Just ask him. Seacrest told him to feel free to pipe up whenever he felt like saying something during the competition.

Well, the show started off with ALLISON. She sang Aerosmith's "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing" from "Armageddon." To be honest, I didn't like the song when Aerosmith sang it, and I really don't like Allison's rendition of it. I guess the judges heard something different than me, because I thought it was all over the place. Out of tune in some spots, and forced in most. The judges thought it was great all the way around, but I think it was her worst performance yet. She will surely be in the bottom three unless the others really suck. That bums me out. I really like Allison.

ANOOP followed Allison with "Everything I Do, I Do For You," the Bryan Adams tune from Kevin Costner's "Robinhood." Lousy movie and lousy song. Two for two with songs I don't particularly care for. Anoop did an OK job with it, as he always. Nothing special to make him stand out. I have resigned myself to the fact that Anoop is just mediocre. I like Anoop. He's really a likeable guy, but that's not gonna keep him in the competion. Too bad. But the others are too good.

Next up, ADAM sang "Born To Be Wild," from the cult classic "Easy Rider" by Steppenwolf. This song seems aptly suited for Adam. His take on it worked for me. Still the screechy Adam, but for this instance, it was appropriate. The judges love him. The voting public loves him. The studio audience loves him. Paula is sickening with her praise. He'll be safe. No doubt. I just wish he'd stop channeling Axl Rose.

So far, Mr. Tarrantino has not contributed to the critiques.

From Johnny Depp's "Don Juan DeMarco," MATT sang another Bryan Adams song, "Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman." GEEZ!! Come on with the songs!! So many great songs from gazillions of movies and they're picking these dogs. This song is pretty easy to sing. No great stretches of range here. And boring at best. Matt is one of my favorites in the game, but come on, dude!! With that awesome soulful voice of yours you could have picked a song that showcased your talent. And, on top of that, it was off pitch when he did try to hit some high notes. The judges agreed with me. Matt really needs to find his niche. He definitely has one. We all know what it is. Unfortunately, he doesn't. I hate to say it, but Matt will probably be in the bottom three tomorrow. Gosh dammit!!

Still no word from Mr. T.

So far, I have been completely underwhelmed by all of the acts. Adam turned in the best performance up to this point. Didn't think I'd be saying that!! DANNY stepped up to the stage next sporting a new look -- sans glasses and manly scruff. He chose "Endless Love," the duet by Lionel Richie and Diana Ross from the movie by the same name. I must say, I thought he killed it. The D Man brought it this time, with his soulful style and even a little falsetto. Simon said he was bored, but I disagree. I saw a lot emotion in his performance. He is sure stay on the safa tomorrow.

Quentin! Care to weigh in? Didn't think so.

KRIS sang "Falling Slowly," by Glen Hansard (of The Frames) & Marketa Irglova from the movie, "Once." It was slow and funeral dirge-ish. Pretty obscure. He did an admirable job, but as I said above, I wonder why they are chosing these songs. Kris' worst performance so far. Not that it was badly done. It was just simply boring.

And now, it's LIL's chance to show us that she's the "artist" she says she is. Lil chose "The Rose" by Bette Midler from "The Rose." Again, Lil picked an iconic song from one of the all-time greatest divas in music. Will she ever learn??? This is the kind of song that builds from beginning to end. She put an old skool R&B twist to it. I guess if you like this kind of riffing, then you'd like this performance. Didn't work for me. She's trying to be the diva that she's not. She showed a little arrogance with her comments to the judges defending her average showing. What ev.

So. . . In this reporter's opinion, tomorrow's bottom three will be Anoop, Matt, and Lil. And that's who should be there. Danny shined. No one else did.

Jennifer Hudson and Miley Cyrus perform on tomorrow's results show. I'm very excited!!

Nighty nite, Quentin!

See ya next time.

Good Riddance! 4/8

As we all know, last night's performance show featured songs from the contestants' birth years. Tonight's show started out somewhat unusually. Frankie Avalon sang a song from Simon's birth year, his hit from 1959, "Venus." All the judges seemed genuinely surprised and I must say, Frankie still sounds pretty dang good.

Next, the group did their cheese-ball group number, "Can't Get You Out Of My Head," by Kylie Minogue. Good when she sang it. Bad when they sang it.

Then tonight's Ford video, complete with a behind-the-scenes look at how it was done. I always like this part. Tonight, the video's theme was magic and featured the gang singing Britney Spears' "Circus."

OK. Enough of that. . . . Now on to the reason why we're here. ELIMINATION!!!!!

First, Adam was called forth, as was Kris and Anoop. Adam, of course went back to the safe zone. No surprise here. Kris, after hearing again how bad the judges thought he was sent back to safety. The judges loved Anoop, but he was sent to the dreaded three stools.

The guest performance was next, with Flo-Rida doing "Right Round," sounding as expected. This show certainly has turned into the best showcase for current chart-toppers.

More commercials, more commercials, more commercials. . . .

When we got back, Danny was summoned. He, as expected, was safe. Then Matt. All the judges loved Matt's performance. He was also safe.

Next was my all-time favorite, Scott (insert roll of the eyes). The judges didn't particularly like his performance or his guitar strumming. Scott was NOT safe. Thank God!!

Then came Lil, consistently mediocre, and Allison, one of the best of the bunch. All the judges loved Allison's showing the night before. And so did America. Thankfully, Allison got the recognition she deserves, and went back to safety. Lil, instead was sent to the stools.

So it's Anoop, Lil, and Scott in the bottom three -- just as this reporter predicted. And once again, the three have to stew while they listen to Season 5 contestant, Kelly Pickler, now a bona fide country star. But is she really that much of a blonde? For the first time this season, the bottom three are actually the ones who deserve to be there. America was right on it this week.

One of the bottom three gets to go back to the safa (you know -- safe sofa). And it's Lil!! She gets her wish to return next week and show us what a great "artist" she is. If she doesn't bring it full force next time, she'll be out!! But as for now, it's either Anoop or Scott getting the boot - unless the judges grant a reprieve.

Here we go. Thirty-four million votes, and Scott is the lowest scorer. FINALLY!!!! JOY!!!! RAPTURE!!!

Now, here comes the fun. Sing, boy, sing!!! Sing!! Strum that Guitar Hero game piece!!!! Bad karaoke at best. After that abysmal dirge, if the judges save him, we'll know why.

The judges hemmed and hawed, and Simon, unbelieveably said it's not just about Scott, but also the other contestants, and if they believe he is more talented than any of the others. Is he serious???!!???

Well, at last, the mook is gone. Good riddance to bad rubbish!

See ya next time.

"The Year You Were Born" 4/7

THE YEAR YOU WERE BORN. That's the theme for tonight's performances. That gave the contestants a pretty durn good selection from which to choose. Albeit, the songs from their birth years are probably just as foreign to them as the songs from my birth year are to me. Even though, Allison's song, from 1992, seems pretty current to me. Even the oldest contestant, Danny's song from 1980 seems current. I guess that just shows how the show has been giving them ancient song themes in the weeks past.

The old guy, DANNY, led off. He sang "Stand By Me," the Mickey Gilley version. It sounded OK to me. Like I have been saying, Danny doesn't really do anything different from week to week. Although his particular version wasn't country, the arrangement he chose was from a country star, Mickey Gilley. That's two in a row for Danny. Maybe he IS going after the country vote. Danny is consistently good, so he'll be around next week for sure. The judges loved him. Plus, he has the likability factor. All this coupled with the country vote is a sure bet to be in the finals.

Next up -- KRIS. His choice was curious to me. Of all the songs of his birthyear, 1985, "All She Wants To Do Is Dance," by Don Henley is the best he could find to showcase his talent? Not a good choice. Also, he did the cheesy thing -- surrounding himself with admiring chicks -- while he performed. He sounded a little like Jamiroqui to me. My support for Kris has been building more and more each week, but this was not his best. Still not bad -- He stayed on key and kept it funky, but not his best. Simon said it was a "stupid, stupid song choice." Randy agreed. He'll be back, though.

LIL. Someone is giving you bad advice, girl. Lil's song, from 1984, was "What's Love Got To Do With It?", by the legendary, one-of-a-kind, incomparable Tina Turner. She did Celine Dion last week. What part of "you can NEVER sound as good" do you not understand? From the start, it looked like she was doing a TT impression, right down to her trademark walk. The performance was fair at best. The same from week to week, Lil's critiques sound like broken records. I'm starting to think she's not that good. Definitely not as good as everyone though she was in the beginning. She keeps saying that if America allows her to come back, she'll show us what a brilliant artist she is. You didn't bring it, and it's time to. Apparently you can't. Lil could be gone tomorrow, and it won't be unjustified.

Here's where I contradict myself: ANOOP did "True Colors," by Cyndi Lauper, 1986. I also put Ms. Lauper in the "legendary, one-of-a-kind, incomparable" category. She has a range unmatched by almost any singer out there. But Anoop took her on and did a more than respectable job. In fact, up to this point, Anoop was the best of the night. He took the song, and put his soulful spin on it. And it worked. He certainly redeemed himself from his unfortunate performance last week. Anoop is one of those on-the-fence kind of contestants. Will he be back next week? I hope so. He is way more deserving than some of the others. Kara said that he controlled the song, the song didn't control him. All the judges liked him. I did too.

From 1985, SCOTT chose some forgettable song. Please, make him go away. Awful.

Whoever follows Scott has the best position of the night. Tonight, the lucky girl was ALLISON.

From 1992, Allison sang "I Can't Make You Love Me," by Bonnie Raitt, a song everyone loves and can identify with. Best of the night. She's only 16, but she sang the song with the emotions of someone twice her age, and put her own label on it. Allison has been in the bottom three every week. Why? Simon said she needs to be more likeable. Everyone I know disagrees and thinks Allison is very likeable. I said before, and I'll say it again -- Allison has what it takes to win this competition. I really hope she gets to relax tomorrow and not go through the agony of being in the bottom three again. She shouldn't be.

The next to take the stage was MATT. He chose "Part Time Lover," by another legend, Stevie Wonder from 1985. Bad choice in my opinion. I like Matt, but I think he could have chosen a way better song for his performance. The judges LOVED it, and it made me wonder if I was being over critical, or not hearing the same thing they were, but I stand by my original opinions -- Matt could have done much better with a different song. He's been in the bottom three before, so he has to bring it from now on. I hope he comes back.

ADAM closed the show with Tears For Fears' "Mad World," from 1982. I defected from the Adam camp a couple of weeks ago. He sat on a chair for half the song, and stood still for the second half. It was more of a ballad than we're used to hearing from Adam. This week was a little toned down, and not so shrieky, but still, why do the judges think he's so great??? The show was running out of time, so only one of the judges rendered an opinion. Simon said words were unnecessary, so he gave Adam a standing O? Is there something I just don't get about this guy???

So there you have it. One falls tomorrow. In this reporter's opinion, the bottom three will be Lil, Anoop, and Scott. You all know who I think should go.

See ya next time!

Ax Time!

Wednesday night and that means time for someone's hopes and dreams to be dashed. With last night's dismal performances all the way around (almost), it's anyone's guess who should go. In my opinion, the best performance of the night was Kris and the worst was either Lil or Megan. It's too bad the girls aren't doing well because there are only three left, and it would be nice to have a balance. It's all I can do to hold myself back from saying that Scott should go. Who knows? He may be on the upswing. A little late, though. I think last night was a fluke for him.

So. . . Here we go. . .

The show started out with possibly the best Ford video yet. I actually enjoyed it. You can check out the video at http://www.americanidol.com/. Catchy tune. Matt seemed in his element with his rap. If he makes it through, he should definitely stick with that exact style of music.

And then, there's the cheeseball lip-synched group effort, "Don't Stop Believing," by Journey. Why do they make them do that?

OK. . . Megan, Matt, and Kris were the first to get called up. They went to the left side of the stage. Then Adam, Lil, and Allison were called up. They went to the center of the stage. Then Scott, Danny, and Anoop went to the right side of the stage. Is one of those groups the bottom three? If so, I'm hoping it's the middle, simply because Matt is in one of the others, as is Kris. We'll see. . .

First, last year's AI winner (and my choice), David Cook performed his new hit, "Come Back To Me." I really like this song. And the video is really interesting. Check it out on YouTube if you haven't seen it. At the end of Cook's performance, Seacrest presented him with a plaque representing one million copies sold of his debut album -- platinum. From obscurity to stardom in one year. I love it!

Now, on with the results.

Kris was the first called up from his group. He is safe as expected. Next, Matt was called up. Safe this week. Sigh of relief from me. Next, Megan steps up. Disses Simon by telling him she doesn't care what he thinks. She is in the bottom three at last. In fact, Megan seemed to be making a mockery out of the whole affair by making goofy faces into the camera, waving hysterically into the camera, and flapping her arms and making pteradactyl noises while crossing the stage. Is she losing her mind? Lil was next. Safe. Allison. Also in the bottom three. I was surprised at this, but she wasn't. Adam next. Safe. Bummer. I'd like to see him go.

Next came Danny. The judges loved him. So did America. Then, Scott and Anoop were called up together . The judges liked Scott, but not Anoop. Scott was safe (no comment), and Anoop joins Megan and Allison sitting on the dreaded stools of despair in the bottom three.

And sit there they must through a performance by Lady Gaga. A dynamic out-of-the-ordinary show.

After Lady Gaga, Seacrest asked Simon if there was anyone worth "saving" in the bottom three. "One," he replied, but he didn't say who.

After the break, Allison got sent back to safety. I'm glad about that. Then the final call -- Megan was the biggest loser. Because of the dis of the judges mentioned earlier in this blog, the judges didn't even let her try to sing her way back to safety. Simon told her that because she said she didn't care, then neither did the judges. Good-bye Megan. She was ready and so were we.

See ya next time!

What?? ITune download night.

Tonight the theme was popular downloads from ITunes. That meant the top nine could sing just about whatever song they felt like singing. WHATEVER SONG! Scott (and you know what I think of him) said, "This is the week we've been waiting for."

Oh, really?

Actually, I have to say that SCOTT sounded better tonight than he has all season. He sang Billy Joel's "I Love You Just The Way You Are." Still mediocre at best, he stayed in his comfort zone and sat at his piano and did a rendition of the song that would make Mr. Joel say hmmmmm. . . .

That's all I'm saying about Scott tonight. He simply shouldn't be on the same stage as the rest of the bunch.

ANOOP led off the night with Usher's "Caught Up." He did a decent job, stepped up the tempo this week, but still failed to hit us with the wow factor. Anoop is a good singer, but he lacks any other presence on stage. If he could learn a bit of booty-shaking to accentuate his more up-tempo songs, then he would be a much greater force to be reckoned with. Still, I think Anoop will make it through to the next round because everyone likes Anoop, the person.

Next up -- MEGAN. She did a shaky version of a song I've never heard before -- Bob Marley's "Turn Your Lights Down Low," (later released by Lauren Hill). Come on. If you have a chance to sing pretty much ANY song, why pick such an obscure OLD song. Bob Marley has been dead for what -- twenty years??? She whined her way through it to a very anticlimactic climax. I'm trying to think of who she should do. What artist she should cover. Hmmm. . . . Can't think of any. How bout just singing for tips at the local coffee shop. Poor Megan was born about fifty years too late. She'd have been great as a flowers-in-the-hair hippy chick warbling out tunes in Haight-Ashbury in the sixties. I won't be surprised if she packs her bags this time.

Country night was a few weeks ago, but DANNY, nevertheless, took a country turn this week with "What Hurts The Most" by Rascal Flats. With the death of his wife just months before he auditioned for the show, I'm sure Danny has TONS of emotions to pull from to put into his performances, and it shows. He seems to truly "feel" the music inside of him. Danny sounded like he always does. I said last week that he needs to do something, anything, out of the box to keep our interest. He did a decent job, but not great. Was his country choice a ploy to garner the country music lovers' votes now that Michael is gone? Good strategy. My interest in him is waning. The judges loved him. He'll definitely be back for another chance to show us what he's got.

No Doubt's "Don't Speak" was ALLISON's choice, and it was a good choice. This time, she brought her guitar with her and showed us that she is even more talented than we thought. She put her own spin on it, as usual, and sounded great. At 16 years old, this song might be an "oldie" by her standards, but was one of the most contemporary songs of the evening. Allison came out on stage wearing a bizarre looking dress which got a lot of flack from the judges, but so what??? It only added to her uniqueness. She had staying power and should be around for the weeks ahead. Does she have what it takes to win it all? I believe she does.

MATT sang "You Found Me" by The Fray. Props to Matt for choosing the most current song of the night. These are the songs that those who go on to get recording contracts will be singing. Not old stuff like most of the others chose. Matt has great talent. I liked his performance, but I also felt like it wasn't really his style. I felt like he was trying to copy the original instead of making it his own. Matt's got a ton of soul, and should stay in that zone. Robin Thicke. Justin Timberlake. Or, as the judges said, a band like One Republic. Anyway, Matt was in the bottom three last week, and with this performance this week, he'll probably be in the bottom three again. I hope not.

That brings us to LIL. This is her third bad showing in a row. Lil has moments of greatness, but is so inconsistent that I don't think she has a chance of winning this competition. Lil sang "I Surrender" by Celine Dion. Yes, you heard me -- "I Surrender" by Celine Dion. First of all, no matter how good you think you are, you DON'T do Celine Dion. Just like you DON'T do Whitney Houston. You can NEVER sound as good. Well, Lil didn't even sound marginally good. She seems to get worse and worse each week, and she has been making terrible song choices. She could have done any song she wanted to. MJ Bligh? Alicia Keyes? Rihanna? She may be in the bottom three, and I won't be surprised.

"Play That Funky Music White Boy." Remember that one? By one-hit-wonders Wild Cherry? 1976? Well, that was the song that ADAM screeched out. He had his slicked-back boufant hair-do thing going on again. The judges fawned over him to the point that almost made me puke. As far as I'm concerned, this shrieky style of his has worn out its welcome. Wasn't that the trademark sound of all those 90's hair bands? Why do the judges love him so much? Like Simon so often comments -- I had to cover my ears on this one. True genius? Really, Paula?? Puh-leez!

So, as you can tell, in this reporter's opinion, the night was pretty much a bust. By far, the worst night of the competition so far. That was -- until KRIS took the stage. He did "Ain't No Sunshine" by Bill Withers. Hands down the best performance of the night and maybe the whole competition. This time, Kris was behind the keyboard. Who knew? We've seen him with his guitar, but not with his keyboard (unless he played it Hollywood week. I don't remember). A flawless, awesome rendition of the classic song. Yes, the song is more than 30 years old, but Kris gave it his own flair and made the song work as if it were released just last year. Very quickly moving to the top of my list, Kris is the one to watch. While guys like Danny, Matt and Anoop sometimes seem like they're pushing it, or trying too hard, it all seems effortless for Kris. Not a bad performance yet. Everyone else had better bring it.

See ya next time.

Nine left standing.

OK.

Elimination time. Here we go.

After the oh-so-cheesy group tribute to Motown, Ruben Studdard performed. The season two Idol winner sounded great. Why don't we hear more from him on the radio??

Getting on to the eliminations -- Adam was the first to escape being sent home. Not surprisingly. But then Matt???? In the bottom three??? What????

Kris made it through to the next round, as did Lil, but Michael joined Matt in the bottom three. Not surprised at any of those.

Allison, no surprise here, either, was the next to enter the safety zone. Then Anoop was also safe. Danny was the next in the hot seat. He too made it through to the next round.

Scott and Megan were next. Both should go home, but, alas, only one can be eliminated. It was Scott in the bottom three. Well, shocker of shockers -- Scott got to back to the safety zone. How can anyone vote for this schmo over someone like Matt??? Unbelievable!!

In the cruel wait for the inevitable results, Stevie Wonder performed a medley of his hits. He still sounds great after all these years.

So -- Here we go -- Who goes home?? Who stands before the judges wishing for a final reprieve?? Matt? Michael? After the break. . . . . .

Envelope please. And the loser is Michael. Matt returns to safety. Will the judges (aren't they really just critics now) grant him a stay of elimination?? Sing, Michael, sing. Sing as if your life depends on it. Or at least your career. Simon was called upon to deliver the verdict. Nope. Sorry big man. Back to the oil rigs.

One last thought -- I think the judges' "save" thing is too much. Let us decide and leave it at that.

Tune in next week.

WESMIX on Idol

Motown night!!!

What happened, LIL? You should have shined! "HEATWAVE"????? Give me a break! With all the great women of Motown (Diana Ross, Mavis Staples, Gladys Knight and Valerie Simpson to name a few), you chose Martha Reeves??? And you screamed the song. Go back and listen to the original -- Martha sang it with ease, not like she was struggling to get every lyric out. It's very unlikely that you'll go home tonight (you get the black vote no matter what), but if you do get eliminated, after last night's performance on top of last week's, it wouldn't be an injustice.

And don't get me started on SCOTT! How did this guy ever get into the top 12, or even the top 36?? We all know he gets the synpathy vote because he's blind. Boo Hoo. But that sympathy vote is taking away from the others who deserve to be there when he doesn't. And who the hell dressed him in those pink pants?? Himself?? GEEZ!!! Enough!! Get rid of that psycho-looking no-talent! "You Can't Hurry Love?" by Diana Ross and the Supremes and then later by Phil Collins. If they were dead, they'd be turning over in their graves!

My choice is MATT. This one is the total package. He's got soul. He's got swagger. He's got looks. He can sing. He can play the piano! He kind of snuck up on us. For weeks in the preliminary rounds, he flew way under the radar. His rendition of Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On" was damn good. Marvin would approve. He put his own spin on it and has proven to all of us that he has what it takes to win the competition. I haven't seen a bad performance from him yet. You go, boy!

KRIS is also quickly becoming front-runner. He sang "How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You," and his rendition sounded just as good as the original hit makers, Marvin Gaye and James Taylor. His all American good looks and pure voice are thrusting him into the running for the top spot. I think we all have been pleasantly surprised by his emerging talent and his self-confidence. Simon is off on this one -- Kris is loaded with self-confidence.

Oh, dear, dear MEGAN. Go home. We've had enough of you pseudo-hula thing. Shades of Brook White from last year. Who told her she could do Stevie Wonder?? Puh-leeez! Who is voting for this chick?

"Oh Baby Baby," by this week's mentor himself, Smokey Robinson was ANOOP's choice this week and he did an admirable job with it. Anoop isn't great, but he's not terrible either. He's such a likeable guy that he'll be around for a few more weeks at least. We all got into his corner partly because to the goofy songs he chose, like "My Perogative," or "Beat It," and I think that if he stays with the ballads, he will become boring. Step it up, Anoop Dogg!!

MICHAEL "churched it up" by singing "Ain't Too Proud To Beg" by the Temptations. Well, he had better start begging for votes, because performances like that one ain't gonna make it. He mostly yelled it and was off pitch more than a few times. And aren't we all tired of his "well bite me, judges, the country folk will vote for me" attitude? Sure he's an big all-American looking lug, but that's definitely not enough to will the competition. Back to the oil rigs with you, big man!

ADAM decided to sing another Smokey Robinson tune, "Tracks Of My Tears." He showed up with his hair combed back, wearing a suit, looking like Harry Conick, Jr. A completely different look for him, which was refreshing. He sang the song in his trademark high-pitched falsetto, and was right on the mark as far as pitch, but am I the only one getting tired of his wierd style?

My original choice for the top spot, DANNY chose "Get Ready," originally by The Temptations, and then an even better rendition by Rare Earth in 1970. Danny sounded his usual self. Unfortunately, he's not doing anything out of the box to keep our interest. His look was a carbon copy of the previous weeks. Surprise. He's kinda klutzy when he dances. He pretty much screamed the whole song. Hopefully, people aren't getting tired of him, because he's still one of the best.

And then there's ALLISON. She's the only rocker, and the only latina. Those are two huge contingencies to have in your corner. In Allison's case, however, it is well deserved. Is she really only 16? Her song choice for the night was "Papa Was A Rolling Stone" by the Temptations, one of my all-time favorite songs ever of all time in perpetuity. And she ROCKED IT. I wouldn't be surprised if she goes all the way (at least to the top three). She's that good, and she definitely has her own style. Great job!